PMK's Photo-a-Day

December 18th, 2009

2009-12-18T11:12:00.002-05:00

Wow . . . the closer it gets to Christmas, the busier I find myself becoming . . . and the more convenient I am finding subjects to shoot! This ornament dates way back in my wife's family. She's not even sure where it came from . . . thought it a jolly subject to shoot!

Captured with the Nikon 50mm prime at f/1.8 with a shutter speed of 60th of a second. ISO is up to 400 on this one.

December 17th, 2009

2009-12-17T08:31:00.002-05:00

Anytime a bunch of flowers make it into my house, I have to shoot them . . . and the bouquet that came yesterday, courtesy of our friend Jane, had some Calla Lily in them. The Calla Lily is a marvelous subject to photograph - so don't be surprised to see this one again as the leaves open and it becomes even more photogenic!

This was captured with the Nikon 50mm prime at a 60th of a second at f/1.8 with an ISO of 100. I used natural lighting coming in from a dining room window to light the scene. As I do most of my shooting on Aperture Priority mode, the camera kept giving me a very hot image, meaning it was blowing out my highlights . . . switching to Manual mode and dialing in the correct shutter speed gave me the control I need to capture a nice image.

December 16th, 2009

2009-12-16T13:59:00.003-05:00

Late entry for today's image of the day - there's a good excuse, but nothing I can divulge right away! Stay Tuned on that front . . . as far as today's image – got one word for you – MEOW!!!

Captured with the Nikon 50mm prime at f/1.8 with a shutter speed of 40th of a second. ISO is down to 100.

December 15th, 2009

2009-12-15T09:35:00.002-05:00

"A true friend is someone who thinks that you're a good egg, even though they know you are slightly cracked" - Bernard Meltzer

A colleague of mine recently had great success with a photo of an egg. It was simply a perfect capture - broken open with yoke and shell expertly exposed on a reflective surface. I wanted to try a similar shot, but with the shell intact . . . lit with two flashes and standing on end. How do you get an egg to stand on end? Go ahead, try it . . . it's an old bar bet. Email me and I'll tell you how to do it . . . :-)

Captured with the Nikon 50mm prime at 60th of a second at f/4. Lit with two Nikon Speedlight controlled by the SU800 commander. ISO is down to 100.

December 14th, 2009

2009-12-14T09:09:00.003-05:00

I am totally buzzing with the Christmas spirit now . . . and I know why. It's my little 5 year old . . . she's very excited by Christmas and it's not just about getting new toys. This year, we packed up a bunch of her old toys or toys and clothes she doesn't play with or wear any more. We're teaching her about giving to the less fortunate and she really seems to be getting it. I think I nailed it home when I told her that in a small way, she gets to play Santa to some kids who aren't as fortunate as she is! Very proud Papa!

This is our Holiday wreath hanging on the front door. . . Captured with the Nikon 50mm at a 90th of a second at f/5 with an ISO of 500.

December 13th, 2009

2009-12-13T10:37:00.001-05:00

Meet McGee . . . he's a new member of the family and the start of a Christmas tradition that has turned out to be a very fun holiday activity. McGee is part of a book called Elf on a Shelf. It's a wonderful book that comes with an toy elf that you place around the house each and every night leading up to Christmas Day. The elf, named by the book's new owner, reports back to Santa nightly and winds up in a different place in the house by morning. To our five year old, this is simply Christmas Magic at work . . . and it's just wonderful to see as both a parent and a grown-up.

Captured with the Nikon 50mm prime at a 40th of a second at f/1.8. My ISO was up to 400 for this shot as I used natural lighting. The big light orbs you see behind McGee are the lights from the Christmas tree. Shooting with a wide aperture gives you a nice, soft background for your subject to stand apart from.

December 12th, 2009

2009-12-12T09:21:00.002-05:00

I was lucky to have a friend who needed a portrait session. It went so well that I knew I had my Image of the Day for today. Portraits have always been one of my weaker spots. I get so wrapped up in the techno babble - lights, aperture, shutter speed - all that stuff - that I usually ending up with very stiff, unusable portraits. Not so last night . . . I think, because I was so familiar with the subject, a family friend who is a whole lot of fun - not to mention beautiful - I just had a blast and we simply did a great photo shoot. Were there some technical difficulties, yes - of course. But I just didn't let them bog me down - had a blast!

This was shot with the Nikon 70-200mm VR with Claudia, my muse in this case, sandwiched between to Nikon Speedlights and one TD-5 Spiderlite. My shutter speed was 60th of a second, f-stop at f2.8 and my ISO is down to 100.

December 11th, 2009

2009-12-11T08:52:00.002-05:00

Getting myself back into a Konxari frame of mind. The New Year will see an expansion pack of new Konxari Cards (www.konxari.com) and while this image is just a warm up, I plan on making these new cards even creepier than the last ones!! This image was processed using Adobe Lightroom . . . the technique I use to create images like this is to pull the slides way out of whack, then retreat to a usable image. In other words, there really is no technique. It helps to know what each slider will do and how it will effect your image.

Captured with the Sigma 10-20mm lens at an 80th of a second at f/4. ISO is set to 100.

For more information on Konxari Cards, head on over to www.konxari.com to get a peek at the 88 images The IRM Foundation commissioned me for.

December 10th, 2009

2009-12-10T08:44:00.002-05:00

Making the mundane interesting . . . that's how I try to roll. Having some breakfast this morning when I just glanced down at my fork and spoon and though - hmmm, interesting. In my head, anyway . . .

Captured with the Nikon 50mm prime wide open at f/1.8 at a 40th of a second. Most folks will tell you to shoot at a speed no less than the mm of the lens, but rules are meant to be broken . . . especially if you're going for artsy, I like I always am. ISO is up to 400 on this shot.

8 Month anniversary to follow shortly . . . animoto.com servers are down.

December 9th, 2009

2009-12-09T09:11:00.003-05:00

So today is the first official 'snow day' of the year . . . got a call at 5am telling us that Kindergarten would be closed. What's that mean for Photo-a-Day with a 5 year old running around? That I'd better snap something quick and have Peyton be my assistant - so I present to you, one of my favorite holiday ornaments . . . Homer kissing Marge under the mistletoe.

Captured with the Nikon 50mm prime at a 30th of a second at f/1.8. Peyton held the SB900 over my shoulder as I shot. ISO is up at 400.

December 8th, 2009

2009-12-08T09:53:00.002-05:00

Some days, it's easier for me to turn on my creativity . . . and some days, like today, I can't seem to find it . . . then I see my lamp from across the room and figure why the heck not . . . it's a neat image and a metaphor for how I am feeling this morning . . . get it? Turning on my creativity? Sometimes I crack myself up!

Captured with the Sigma 70-300 macro at a 250th of a second at f/5.6 with the Nikon SB900 lighting the scene. ISO is up to 400 for this.

December 7th, 2009

2009-12-07T08:24:00.003-05:00

Busy holiday weekend . . . setting up the tree . . . the outdoor lights. All worth while once everything is up! Now I know why people drink eggnog in abundance when doing this stuff! But when all is said and done, photo opportunities abound!!

This was captured with the Nikon 50mm prime shot wide open at f/1.8 at a 60th of a second with the Nikon SB900 flash firing from below. I used the SU800 commander on-camera to trigger the Speedlight remotely. ISO is down to 100.

December 6th, 2009

2009-12-06T08:59:00.003-05:00

So my local camera club is hosting a local competition on the Color Blue. All entries must have a subject with the predominant color blue in them. Anytime I enter a competition, I want to put something in that likely hasn't been shot or seen before. I think this image qualifies. It's something I've always wanted to try . . . and the competition gave me the perfect excuse to give it a shot!

Captured with the Nikon 50mm shooting on full manual mode. My shutter speed was 250th of a second - the highest sync speed to captured a flash photograph. My f-stop was f/5.0 to make sure the front and back of the glass - and everything in between was in focus. I fired off two flashes - one lighting the background - the other lighting the glass from the side - with the Nikon SU800. I had my beautiful assistant - my wife - pour some mouthwash from a measuring cup into the glass and just fired away. Repeated the set-up three times to give me some different selections and - as is always the case with me - my very first shot is the one I choose! ISO is set to 100.

December 5th, 2009

2009-12-05T17:14:00.003-05:00

Whew . . .rough day today . . . spent all morning at a portrait workshop that was fantastic . . . it started snowing during the class - nothing crazy. Then I had to pick up the family and take them shopping, which is when the heavy stuff started coming down . . . Got home safe and sound, and - as I hadn't thrown up an image of the day just yet, wanted to capture an image that conveyed how crazy it was driving home . . .

Captured with the Nikon 50mm Prime at f/1.8 shooting at a 60th of a second with the flash going off . . . love the explosions of light against the snow flakes . . .reminding me of headlights on the drive home!

December 4th, 2009

2009-12-04T08:27:00.003-05:00

Taking the day off for my birthday . . . but didn't want to leave a blank spot in the blog, so today is Snapshot Friday! Here's Peyton just prior to her debut holiday concert. This was last night and was the perfect kick off for my birthday celebration!

December 3rd, 2009

2009-12-03T09:34:00.003-05:00

Quick one for today . . . any time a I get my wife a rose, she slips one and tosses it into this old chamber pot. After years and years, the ones at the bottom are nothing but dust, but it's a great idea and - I think - worthy of an image of the day!

Captured with the 50mm prime shot wide open at f/2.8 at a 40th of a second with an ISO of 100.

December 2nd, 2009

2009-12-02T10:20:00.003-05:00

I am an unapologetic gear head . . . I love gadgets. Perhaps its from watching too much James Bond when I was a kid (yeah, right - like I still don't watch them!). Anyway, being a photographer and a gear head pretty much goes hand in hand. there's always something new out there to make you a better photographer - ok, not really - nothing can make you a better photographer, but yourself! BUT - there are certainly some great gadgets out there that are fun to play around with . . . and one of those things that shouldn't be taken for granted in our lenses! This is my workhorse lens - the Nikon 70-200mm VR 2.8. This is what I shot all the wolf pics with. It's an amazing lens for getting close up to the action - yet makes for a very intimate portrait lens. A very versatile piece of gear. I thought shooting it would be a lot of fun - and boy, was it . . . I experimented with gels over the flashes . . . different lighting positions . . . just a whole lot of fun! I've now got this image as my desktop wall paper!

Shot with the Sigma 70-300 at a 60th of a second at f/4. I used the SU800 Commander to control both the SB800 & SB900 flashes. ISO is down to 100.

December 1st, 2009

2009-12-01T08:24:00.001-05:00

Ah, it's that time of year again . . . digging out the Holiday ornaments. We've started early this year, as I'll be hosting this year's Sparta Camera Club Holiday party. It's going to be a great time with fun and food - and even a print exchange! So I thought what better way to kick off December than with an image that conveys the holiday season!

Captured with the Nikon 50mm prime shot wide open at f/1.8. Shutter speed was half a second, thus a tripod was needed to get the shot. ISO is down to 100.

November 30th, 2009

2009-11-30T10:08:00.001-05:00

A last look at my Lakota Wolf Preserve shoot . . . I will be collecting these images into one of my 'folio' editions for sale in the new year! The fact that this place was less than an hour away from me all this time prompts me to take a closer look around my home and see what other amazing opportunities await my lens!

Captured with the Nikon 70-200mm VR at 250th of a second at f/3 with my ISO down to 100.

November 29th, 2009

2009-11-29T07:14:00.001-05:00

Here's another sneak peek at my Lakota Wolf Preserve shoot. This is one of 24 wolves they had on site . . . what struck me with each and every wolf was the intelligence in their eyes. There was a pack mentality, for sure, but each individual wolf had their own personalities.

Captured with the 70-200mm VR at 500th of a second at f/2.8. ISO is down to 100.

November 28th, 2009

2009-11-28T12:13:00.003-05:00

One thing I really haven't explored is shooting wildlife . . . this weekend, I got my chance to at the Lakota Wolf Preserve in Columbia, NJ . . . there were close to 2 dozen wolves on the preserve and they all wander around in a natural habitat. To see and hear these amazing beasts up close and personal - some of them even licked my lens - was such a great experience.

This shot was captured with the Nikon 70-200mm VR shooting at 500th of a second at f/3. ISO was bumped up to 800 as I was shooting hand held and the sun kept popping in and out.

November 27th, 2009

2009-11-27T11:44:00.003-05:00

They say, the best photo you've ever taken is only 10 feet away . . . so I decided to try this out for myself . . . I picked a spot in the woods, planted myself and just absorbed what was around me. There was a whole lot of dead or dormant foliage laying around. The colors were very muted . . . not much to go on . . . I slowly did a 360 degree sweet and my eyes picked up on some color . . . some red berries standing out in stark contrast to the monochrome background of the late-Autumn setting. And you know what? The theory is sound - it may not be an award winning image, but it's a heck of a shot, I think . . .

Captured with the Nikon 70-200mm VR shooting wide open at f2.8 with a shutter speed of 1/60th of a second. ISO is down to 100.

Novmeber 26th, 2009

2009-11-26T10:26:00.003-05:00

Today, I am most thankful for family . . . my beautiful wife and baby girl are the reason I exist. They are my creative muse. While setting up for a portrait session last night, Peyton decided to help me out a bit by posing for me so I could lock down the lighting. It's these quick little moments between this father and daughter that I love the most . . . where she shows an interest in what I am doing and asks a TON of questions . . . all of which I do my best to answer!

Captured with the Nikon 70-200mm VR. Lit with an SB800 & SB900 flash all controlled by the SU800 Commander unit mounted on top of my camera. Shutter speed is set to 250th of a second with an f-stop of f/8. ISO is 100. Converted to black and white using Lightroom Beta 3.

November 25th, 2009

2009-11-25T08:05:00.002-05:00

So a good friend emailed me last night and said I should go shoot the moon . . . it's beautiful. So, in PJs, I headed out on the back porch with camera in hand, and sure enough, there's this great half moon in the sky. Shooting a moon isn't as tricky as you would think. I always shoot on manual when I try and capture the moon - that way, I can dial in the correct exposure. I start at 250th of a second at f/8 and go from there. The moon is bright, so a faster shutter speed is essential in getting any detail. This, unfortunately will leave everything else in shadow. In this case, there was a nice fluffy cloud just above the moon, but because I used such a high shutter speed, it fell to shadow . . . I shot with the 70-200mm VR - handheld. I tripod would only have slowed me down a bit . . . and I finally rested on a shutter speed of 400th of a second, so camera shake wasn't really an issue. ISO is down to 100.

November 24th, 2009

2009-11-24T09:29:00.002-05:00

So I wanted to give myself a small self-assignment this morning . . . photograph with nothing but your little point and shoot and see what you can get. As I am trying to find something - I realize, I am trying too hard. I look down at the time and see it's just before nine, which is when I like to have my image of the day up! And then I realize, I could shoot my watch!. Grabbed a piece of printer paper and set it up . . . pretty happy with the macro setting on the p6000. Captured on Aperture Priority mode with nothing by the on-camera flash to light the scene.